Byungsoo Kim, S/IDSA
Student, Masters in ID
North Carolina State University
Byungsoo Kim is part of the next generation of design. He earned his bachelor’s degree in product design from Hongik University in South Korea, then got hands on experience as a designer, researcher and instructor. Kim then journeyed across the globe to pursue his master’s degree in industrial design at North Carolina State University. Now, he’s conducting research on universal design and user experience design.
DESIGNING FOR EMPATHY: the AGING EXPERIENCE SUIT
With the increase in the aging adult population, designers and design educators need to pay attention to age- related issues in the product design field. Byungsoo Kim investigates the gap between designers’ and design students’ knowledge—and the needs of the older user. He says developing empathy through experience provides opportunities for students to understand how the older adults feel, what they experience and why they act in certain ways in their real life.